Sean Bowden
Martyr. Politician. Visionary. History will always look back on Sean Bowden with a view to the overall picture. The man who was willing to risk everything to end a despotic regime, a man who was laughed at by all until the truth finally emerged, a man who was vastly out of his depth. Sean Bowden first came to prominence in the spring of 2001 following the retirement of Councillor Harvey Mayne. Mayne had retired due to ill health following the stresses of his job, and shortly after his appointment, Sean Bowden began to show a similar strain. He instrumented the Hartshill Development Project to convert a large area of parkland into affordable housing. The project was controversial from the outset due to its outmoded design and a lack of transparency regarding its implementation. Things worsened for Sean Bowden when it emerged that the city did not have adequate finances to fund the project. Just as things looked as if they couldn’t get worse, Sean Bowden collapsed in his office. The political career of Sean Bowden seemed over. Things were clearly not as they seemed. Bowden returned to politics on a “Stoke First” ticket, promising to place the needs of the city above those of the Government and Europe. Whilst the polls appeared to show that he was on course for victory, he was defeated by Peter Mendleson. Once again his political career seemed finished. However, Sean Bowden’s legacy will be founded on his role against Castelan in 2003. Early in the year he noted that he had conclusive proof that Castelan were conducting illegal operations within the city. Through a series of intermediaries, Bowden had acquired the tape of Andrew Sant’s conversation regarding the Sentinel killings from Susan Willis. He vowed to go public with the evidence, thus proving Castelan’s guilt. He never got the chance, assassinated by a still unidentified assailant. However the evidence he had found proved instrumental in the Courts defeat of Andrew Sant. In the days and weeks that followed his death, more and more details of Sean Bowden’s fight against Castelan began to emerge, how he was nearly bankrupt as a result of it, receiving numerous death threats. Despite all of this he remained true to his word. Sean Bowden was buried with the full honours allowed for a member of the Civil Service. His funeral was attended by no less than half of the current Cabinet, including the Prime Minister. Tributes were received from the leaders of most of the Western World, and he was named Man of the Year by a number of publications in light of his actions. It is unlikely that a politician of his vision will be found for a long time. “He succeeded to a political power in the elections by promising to help people in the City with homes and improving an aged and failing health service. His rise to power was not entirely popular, especially given his anti-Castelan approach." “Bowden was an ambitious man who got involved with something to big for him to deal with, and that, perhaps, is all anyone can hope for." “Was a politician. He’s dead now. Who was he working for?" “I had nothing to do with it.”